Levi Roots created Reggae Reggae Sauce before appearing on BBC’s Dragons’ Den.
Roots, whose real name is Keith Valentine Graham, developed the Jamaican jerk-style sauce and sold it at festivals and markets before seeking investment on the programme. His performance made the brand one of the show’s best-known success stories.
On Dragons’ Den, Roots accepted an offer of £50,000 for a 40% stake. Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh made the investment together. The televised pitch helped turn a small food venture into a widely recognised British sauce brand.
A common mix-up is confusing Roots with the sauce’s fictional advertising character. “Levi Roots” is both the performer’s stage name and the commercial identity used for the product, while Reggae Reggae Sauce is the brand name.